A Quantitative X-Ray Microanalysis of Iron in Erythrocytes and Hepatocytes: Freeze-Dried versus Conventional Epon Sections – A Brief Report-
To confirm and reevaluate the validity of X-ray microanalysis of iron on conventional Epon sections, iron contained in erythrocytes and hepatocytes was analyzed using 500 nm thick freeze-dried and Epon sections. In the freeze-dried sections, an Fe peak could be identified in the elemental spectrum, and significantly high Fe counts were found in erythrocytes and, to a lesser extent, in hepatocyte cytoplasms, as compared with the background count (p<0.01). In the Epon sections, however, no Fe peak in the elemental spectrum of erythrocytes could be identified, and Fe counts were significantly high only in erythrocytes. Compared with the freeze-dried sections, approximately 70% of iron in Epon sections may be lost, but the erythrocyte Fe counts are high enough for statistical analysis in 500 nm thick Epon sections.
